What the other side is saying

I slinked over to the enemy, having seen some right-wing criticism of Bush. Here’s what some of them are saying:

The mainstream media’s handling of Hurricane Katrina and the disasters in New Orleans is a disgrace, possibly the worst instance yet of media bias. Insane claims by left-wing nuts that President Bush botched the recovery effort on purpose so as to kill black people are repeated by the MSM in a chin-stroking mode, as if to say, “It’s an interesting question–they might be on to something.” Meanwhile, no one points out that it was President Bush who implored Governor Blanco to issue a first-ever mandatory evacuation order for the city, an action by the President that probably saved tens of thousands of lives. (Powerline)

My counter to that is Blanco declared a state of emergency on Friday and the mayor of NO issued mandatory evacuation orders around the same time.

Second, to speed recovery within that region, the president should ask for and the Congress should approve a complete exemption from all taxes –federal, state, and local– on the income generated from the sale of goods manufactured in that region by new plants that meet the criteria of employing at least 100 locals and which are constructed without injury to existing operations across the U.S. A year of exemption for every 100 manufacturing jobs created in the recovery region should prove a powerful magnet. Thus if GM built a new plant in the region employing 800 people, GM would get eight years of tax free revenue beginning with the first year of operation. The same bill authorizing this and using the federal power to preempt adverse state and local law would also provide the Department of Commerce with the necessary authority to waive or modify statutes that would complicate the construction process. In this sort of emergency, you shouldn’t have to get the local office of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife’s concurrance that you are doing enough for a woodpecker on the endangered species list if a few hundred urgently needed jobs are in the balance.

How about tax breaks for the people?! What about that bankruptcy bill? What about the death tax? Jesus Christ, people, we’re running a little short on cash here, both as a nation and as individuals. Tax breaks?! I can’t believe it.